Too Much Of A Good Thing—

Is Newtown On The Snack Track?

By Nancy K. Crevier

There is no denying that Newtown is a sports town. Recreational and school athletic opportunities abound for young people. Wrestling, soccer, basketball, football, lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey, baseball, softball, volley ball, cheerleading, swimming; you name it, Newtown’s got it. Starting at ages as young as 3 years old, Newtown teams are filled to capacity with youngsters eager to be a part of the sports scene.

Part of the sports scene involves before, during, and after game snacks, and according to one Newtown parent, the snack scene is getting out of hand. In an anonymous letter received at The Newtown Bee the week of October 16, a parent laments the excess of postgame snacks that do not fit the bill for nutritional fitness.

“When did it become the norm to provide ‘snack’ after a sporting event?” wonders the writer. “Wouldn’t it be wiser to teach our children to exercise for the sheer fun of it and not so they can have a cookie or a bag of Doritos?”

The writer also questions the wisdom of providing young athletes with sports drinks, citing a report by the American College of Sports Medicine, which shows that simple sugars such as those contained in sports drinks create insulin spikes that ultimately decrease athletic performance. “Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned water?” asks the writer.

Is Newtown snack crazy? If so, it is not at the direction of the heads of sports programs in town. Many coaches have a team parent and it is the consensus among coaches is that it is generous-minded team parents who opt to provide goodies to a team.

“We are a not-for-profit sports organization,” said Matt McWilliams, president of Babe Ruth Baseball in Newtown. “Many parents, especially in our younger age groups, feel it necessary to bring after game refreshments for the kids. Many managers even go so far as to write a ‘snack schedule’ or appoint a team parent to organize what parents bring refreshments on what days. This is not a leaguewide program and coaches are not required to do this,” he said, adding that even so, “It’s a good bet that kids will receive a drink and/or chip/cookie bag after games.”

Not Much Parent Concern

Mr McWilliams recalls only one incident of a parent concerned about the quality of snacks, and that parent, he said, offered to organize the snack schedule for the season.

“It would be very difficult, if not impossible, to impose and mandate nutritional standards akin to those implemented by schools for after game snacks,” explained Mr McWilliams, because for one thing, it is recreation and sports that the league provides, not snacks. “The children and parents who choose to play in our organization are with us for a couple of hours, once or twice a week,” he pointed out, not the several hours per day mandated by school. If parents choose to give snacks and drinks before or after a game, and if parents choose to let their children take part in the postgame goodies, it is not for the coaches to decide.

Parents concerned about the quality of parent-provided snacks could be most effective by gently suggesting to the other team parents healthier alternatives, he said.

“I think [providing snacks and drinks] is just parents involved trying to do something nice for kids,” agrees Mike McNamara, director of Newtown’s American Youth Football league. The league provides only water to the teams, he said, and even the traditional half-time orange slices are at the team parents’ discretion. With more than 200 football players, cheerleaders, and parents to organize, snacks have not been an issue at his level of involvement. “If there are issues, I suggest parent talk to the head coach and if they cannot get resolution, then talk to me. No one has ever said anything to me about snacks, though,” said Coach McNamara. Individual head coaches, he said, can determine if there is a need to make restrictions for their team.

He stressed also that providing food is not a part of Newtown’s athletic programs nor the responsibility of coaches, but added, “It would be unfortunate if we had to discourage [the bringing of snacks.] If a parent has a problem with it, I don’t think [the league] should penalize the other 28 kids on the team and the parents who want to help out.”

Dehydration is the issue parents are addressing when they provide sports drinks, such as Gatorade, to children. Early autumn and spring or summer sports can subject athletes to high temperatures and high humidity in New England, both of which contribute to excess perspiration. For athletes in training, losing more fluids than are replaced can lead to poor concentration, headaches, and a poor ability to think clearly. Children in particular are prone to taking in less fluid than is needed to replenish the body, and according to information at webmd.com, children do not adjust to hot temperatures as well as adults.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children involved in sports should cut back on playing time and take frequent breaks in hot weather, or when exercising heavily. Parents should make sure that young athletes are hydrated prior to the start of practice or a game, even if the child professes to not be thirsty. Water can replace some of the lost fluid, but it is not able to replace electrolytes and sodium.

At webmd.com, Dr Lewis G. Maharam recommends 8 ounces of a sport drink or water every 20 minutes when exercising. “If you are exercising less than 40 minutes, water is fine, but for anything over 40 minutes, you want a sports drink that has sugar or salt in it because this helps you increase the fluid that goes into the body.”

While the concentrated amounts of fructose in juices, sodas, and juice drinks can lead to an upset stomach, many sports drinks are designed to combine balanced amounts of sugars, carbohydrates, potassium, and sodium that are easily and quickly absorbed by the body. By replacing the lost minerals, sugars, and carbohydrates, not only is thirst quenched, but dehydration is avoided.

What To Drink?

Energy drinks should not be confused with thirst-quenching sports drinks. Energy drinks, such as the popular Red Bull, are designed for long-term energy boosts and consist of nearly three times as much carbohydrates as a sports drink. They may also contain caffeine and other herbal substances that slow fluid absorption. When fast rehydration is required, a sports drink is a better choice.

Interestingly enough, a cheaper, handier “sports drink” may be found in the dairy case at the local supermarket. While not a thirst quencher, a small study funded by the dairy industry and published in early 2006 in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that as a recovery drink, chocolate milk performed better than sports drinks or new protein-enhanced performance drinks. The study suggests that low-fat chocolate milk, by adding protein to the mix of fluids, sugars, electrolytes, and carbohydrates, is a superior nutrient replacement following exhaustive exercise. The report suggests that chocolate milk has the ideal ratio of carbohydrates to protein and that the different composition of milk sugars may make the milk better absorbed in the gut than the sugars in performance or sports drinks.

In the case of water, too much of a good thing can lead to debilitating symptoms similar to those experienced with dehydration. Excess water consumption can lead to a rare condition called hyponatremia, when so much water is consumed that a person dilutes the sodium in the blood to dangerously low levels. Marathon athletes are more likely to experience hyponatremia than a child involved in recreational sports, but intense practices and games can put a young sports player at risk, as well, should they consume huge quantities of plain water.

There is no doubt that a child on the go will get hungry. Food eaten in between meals can re-energize a child, or it can bog them down. Taking in more calories than are expended will negate the benefit of exercise. Before indulging in a midgame nosh, children and their parents need to know when to say yes and when to say no to the various pizza, fruit, cookie, and chip offerings that may be available.

An active athletic child needs between 1,600 and 2,500 calories every day. Parents need to monitor how much energy their child is actually expending and help the child decide how many and what kinds of snacks should supplement regular meals. A child who plays the bench position does not need the same number of snacks as one who is in the thick of the game, nor do they require the same replenishment of fluids.

At kidshealth.org, registered dietician Jessica R. Donze recommends a snack to tide over active children during long practices or games. A half of a sandwich, fruit, dried fruit, or small quantities of nuts is suggested. Snacks that contain protein and carbohydrates can provide long-lasting energy without the energy spikes and letdowns associated with sugary snacks like candy bars, cookies, or soft drinks.

Is Newtown snack crazy? That is a question only parents can answer. Communication between team parents, and communication between parents and their children, can ensure that a healthy pastime of sports fun is complemented by choices that satisfy — whether they be potable, chewable, or simply soul-satisfying choices.